New England Patriots Week 16 Stock Report

The New England Patriots entered Week 15 with a straight path to the AFC's No. 1 seed. With their 33-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans, the path remains clear.

With one more win this Sunday against the New York Jets or a loss by the Cincinnati Bengals against the Denver Broncos, the Patriots will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The job won't be easy, though. They'll have to get past a division rival that has already proved it can give the Patriots a tough game. The Patriots will also have to do it without many of their best players at their disposal, with so many key injuries ravaging the roster this season.

Here's a look at some of the ups and downs from last week as we head into Week 16.

Stock Up: Rob Gronkowski

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Rob Gronkowski dedicated Sunday's game to his recently deceased friend, trainer Dana Parenteau. The All-Pro tight end did not disappoint.

Gronkowski finished Sunday's game with five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown against the Titans. The 6'6", 265-pound tight end has been playing at a high level all season, but he appears to be particularly hitting stride over the past three weeks. He has 15 receptions for 229 yards and three touchdowns—one touchdown in each game.

Even as the Patriots lose receiving options at an alarming rate, Gronkowski continues to be one of the most productive tight ends in the league. In fact, he ranks at the top among tight ends in receiving yards and No. 2 in receiving touchdowns behind only Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert. 

Stock Down: Leonard Johnson

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The Patriots secondary has been impressive this year, given the expectations of that unit headed into the 2015 season. But as the Patriots have cobbled together their depth chart at cornerback, there have been some pieces that haven't always fit in smoothly.

Cornerback Leonard Johnson had a stellar debut with the Patriots against the Houston Texans in Week 14, but his playing time was way down last week against the Titans. According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson played 43 out of 55 snaps last week and just 18 out of 63 snaps against the Titans.

Johnson's limited action left a lot to be desired, as a holding penalty against Johnson negated a Malcolm Butler interception in the third quarter. The Patriots' third and fourth cornerbacks need to be just as consistent as their first and second ones.

Stock Up: James White

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

James White is finally getting his opportunity to show what he can do for the Patriots offense, and the running back is not looking back. In Week 15 against the Titans, White was targeted eight times and came up with seven receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. He should have had eight receptions for 141 yards, but he had a 70-yard reception wiped away on a bogus pass-interference penalty against wide receiver Keshawn Martin. 

The Patriots drafted White in the fourth round in 2014, and kept him on the roster all last year despite almost nothing to show for it. He was part of a big backfield competition this summer in training camp, but lost out to Dion Lewis. Once Lewis went down with an ACL injury, White finally had his opening, and like a good running back, he hit that opening at full speed.

White is very valuable in the third-down role, but the Patriots have reportedly added running back Steven Jackson to the mix, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN. The Patriots would be wise not to take White's opportunities away, but instead find ways to work both backs into the offense.

Stock Down: Danny Amendola

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It's been a rough couple of months for the Patriots wide receivers overall.

Aaron Dobson was placed on injured reserve, Julian Edelman suffered a foot injury that will likely keep him out of action until the playoffs and Danny Amendola has been in and out of the lineup with injuries of his own.

Amendola has been nursing a knee injury since before Thanksgiving, but made his return to the roster after missing just one game. On Sunday against the Titans, Amendola aggravated the injury in the second quarter on a punt return; he returned to the sideline initially, but made his way back to the locker room before the game was over. 

The injury wasn't the full extent of Amendola's bad day. The veteran receiver has been returning punts in Edelman's absence, and he fumbled a return in the second quarter prior to his injury.

Stock Up: Chandler Jones

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Chandler Jones has always been good. In 2015, he's taking the next step to become great.

The Patriots' top 2012 first-round draft pick has tallied 12.5 sacks this year, setting a new career high for his ability to get after the quarterback. On Sunday against the Titans, Jones had two sacks, including a sack-fumble which was recovered by Patriots defensive tackle Akiem Hicks for a touchdown. It was deja vu to his first-ever sack, which was also a sack-fumble and also against thee Titans in Week 1 2012.

Jones is under contract through the 2016 season, so the Patriots still have some time before they have to decide on whether to keep Jones around long term. That being said, if Jones keeps playing the way he's played this year, he's going to get paid no matter who signs him.